For nearly four hundred years, the children of Israel thought their God was dead—or AWOL, or on vacation. Not long after Abraham had been introduced to God, his descendants, the Hebrew people, found themselves slaves in a foreign land. Slaves.
A promise had been made—they would be a mighty nation and possess the land of Canaan. But the reality was that they were slaves in the land of Egypt. How could this be? God had assured them that He would be their God, and that He would never leave them.
Such lavish promises seem like a cruel joke when you’re in chains and God hasn’t been heard from for centuries.
Perhaps they thought: God must be a myth, the story of Abraham only a legend. Obviously we misunderstood those promises—if there ever were promises.
Moses himself may have wrestled with such doubts. Living in exile in Midian, he encountered a burning bush and in that experience met God firsthand. God told him to go back to Egypt and lead his people to freedom. When Moses asked, “Who should I tell them sent me?” God answered, “I AM.”
I Am. The meaning is powerful, even when translated into English. To say “I am” means “I exist.” But as a name, it also suggests timelessness, self-sufficiency, changelessness.
The Israelites during the time of Moses may not have been familiar with God, but He still knew all about them. He knew they would struggle to believe in a God who can’t be seen, a God who transcends time.
He knew they would be fickle and faithless, and that they would need constant rescue from the consequences of their own foolish choices. And still He set His affection on them.
We are constantly asking God questions: Are You able to see me? Are You wanting to know me? Are You going to help me? Are You willing to forgive me? To all our questions, God answers, “I AM.”
When have you felt forgotten by God?
